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Thread: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

  1. #21
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    ok, did the test. That was intense. here is the results:
    4ppm free chlorine
    4ppm combine chlorine
    7.4 ph
    110ppm alkalinity
    400ppm calcium hardness
    and cyanic acid didn't even register.
    I did watch the video several times before I did the test to make sure it was done properly.
    The pool is beautiful right now, but I do have a add chlorine every other day to make it register.
    ok I will wait to hear from you. Thanks!!
    PF=10 - 12.5k gal 15x30 AG pool. Ecoaquapro.com pump & filter. 2HP 2spd pump; 120sft Black Diamond filter.

  2. #22
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    The way the K-2006 works, your results really are:
    4 ppm free chlorine (FC)
    4 ppm total chlorine (TC)
    7.4 pH
    110 ppm alkalinity (Alk)
    400 ppm calcium hardness (CH)
    0 ppm cyanuric acid (CYA)
    TC - FC = CC (combined chlorine), or in your case, 4 - 4 = 0 CC, which is good.

    Your chlorine, pH, and alkalinity are fine.

    The low cyanuric acid will make managing the pool harder than needed. The high calcium is NOT a problem UNLESS you have a heater, a salt water chlorine generator (SWCG) OR let your pH get high. It does mean you do NOT want to use chlorine in the form of cal hypo (calcium hypochlorite), since that adds even MORE calcium.

    What I'd recommend at this point is:

    Get some bagged dichlor (55% chlorine, 50% stabilizer). If you have access to a Sams Club, their box with 24 x 1# bags of dichlor is the best price and material. Otherwise, you'll need to order from Amazon. Currently (July 2018), this is the best option -- and nearly as cheap as Sams Club -- but you can check this one, and this one, too. Be sure to note that the last option is 12#, not 24#. The good thing about the bagged dichlor is that it seems to keep OK till the next year -- unlike every OTHER form of chlorine.

    Each bag of dichlor will add 5.5 ppm of chlorine, and 5 ppm of stabilizer to your pool. You can use a bag instead of bleach each evening. Once you've added 6 - 8 bags, you should have a decent CYA level, and your chlorine consumption will drop.

    Basically, it looks like you are ready for a routine:
    1. Add chlorine with pool bleach (1/2 gallon dose), normally, but use dichlor (1 bag dose) if your stabilizer is low.
    2. RAISE your pH, if it gets to 7.2, using 20 Mule Team borax (1 box per dose).
    3. LOWER your pH, if it gets to 7.8, using dry acid (pH Plus, etc) (2 cups per dose).
    4. Do NOT use ANYTHING else, unless you REALLY need to do so . . . and you probably don't!
    If you haven't gotten one already, I would recommend that you get the HTH 6-way kit in addition to the K2006. You can get it from from Amazon or sometimes from Walmart . The OTO/phenol red kit is much faster and easier to use than the K2006 . . . and is good enough for everyday use AFTER you've established a routine with the K-2006. The alkalinity and CYA test in the HTH are the SAME as the one in the K-2006.

    Also, if you haven't gotten a spare cartridge, I would recommend that you do so. Filtration is very, VERY important, and it is easier to keep a clean cartridge in the filter, if you can swap them out, and soak the old one before washing it.

    Other than that, it sounds like you are close to having everything under things in control.

    It IS possible that you'll have problems with mustard algae, later in the season. In some pools, it can grow, even when everything is correct. There is a fairly easy way to resolve this, but it involves learning some more stuff. And there's no reason to worry about it yet, since mustard algae is NOT a problem on all pools.

    Good luck!

  3. #23
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    ok, so yesterday [Sunday] when I check the pool in the morning it looked a little cloudy? Not sparkling clear. Sunday is busy with church and stuff so didn't do anything that morning so checked the chlorine level in the evening. It didn't register so I put in liquid chlorine (10%) from Wal mart. This morning little better, so whats up? Did nothing else to it.


    To the response of the dichlor, do I still need to use the liquid chlorine also? So never use stabilizer? Sorry with the questions but I don't want to mess it up!
    PF=10 - 12.5k gal 15x30 AG pool. Ecoaquapro.com pump & filter. 2HP 2spd pump; 120sft Black Diamond filter.

  4. #24
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    Bleach/dichlor is an either/or thing. I can't think of a reason why you'd need both at the same time, though maybe there could be some weird situation when it would be a good idea.

    Normally, you should use dichlor to chlorinate AND add stabilizer. Use bleach once your stabilizer is adequate. Use dichlor later, on an as-needed basis, to add stabilizer . . . and chlorinate at the same time.

    If you prefer, you can use granular stabilizer. But it's hard to dissolve, and often costs more -- even at 100% concentration -- than the Sam's dichlor. (Though the In-the-Swim dichlor on Amazon is currently nearly as cheap!)

    By the way -- and I need to say this more -- never, NEVER mix pool chemicals. They do fine together once dissolved in the pool. But in full concentrated form, outside the pool? Not so much! Plain stabilizer is particularly bad that way, and will react rather nastily with a number of things, if you are careless outside the pool.

  5. #25
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    ok..., its me again. Im having trouble with some yellow algae on bottom of pool and some on the sides. Easy to clean just use brush or vacuum and it goes but what do I use to stop it. Only using chlorine from Wal Mart.
    PF=10 - 12.5k gal 15x30 AG pool. Ecoaquapro.com pump & filter. 2HP 2spd pump; 120sft Black Diamond filter.

  6. #26
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    1. Raise your chlorine levels to 2x whatever you've been keeping them at. Use bleach or 'liquid pool chlorine', rather than any stabilized form of chlorine (including almost ALL bagged chlorine!)

    2. Get a K2006 kit, test your water, and report the results. CYA (stabilizer) level is particularly significant, and one of the values strips measure very poorly.

  7. #27
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    ok, heres the results:
    6.4 FC
    .6 CC
    7.4 PH
    70 total alkalinity
    CYA doesn't register
    350ppm hardness
    have had trouble most of the season keeping stabilizer up, but pool is beautiful, just spots on side and bottom.

    Thank you!
    PF=10 - 12.5k gal 15x30 AG pool. Ecoaquapro.com pump & filter. 2HP 2spd pump; 120sft Black Diamond filter.

  8. #28
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    OK, That doesn't completely make sense.

    Did the R0013 + pool water remain clear? Or was it so cloudy that the CYA "didn't register"?

    Clear ==> CYA < 20 ppm. // Super cloudy ==> CYA > 100 ppm

    If the CYA test mix was super cloudy,
    • mix 1/4 pool water with 3/4 tap water.
      (Use a shot glass, 1/8 cup measure, or even tablespoon measure.)
    • Add 1 unit pool water and then 3 units of tap water to a glass & stir
    • Retest mixture
    • Multiply result x4 for actual CYA reading.

    If it was clear, tell me whether you measure in the AM or PM, and whether it was sunny on the day you tested.

  9. #29
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    ok, if I did it right it was 55ppm. just a few minutes ago (this morning )with sun out.
    The water was cloudy.
    PF=10 - 12.5k gal 15x30 AG pool. Ecoaquapro.com pump & filter. 2HP 2spd pump; 120sft Black Diamond filter.

  10. #30
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    Default Re: Nobody knows! Help Is it phosphates, water to hard.......

    CYA = ~60 ppm

    Algae chlorine dose = 25% of CYA, or 15 ppm!

    Try keeping your chlorine between 10 ppm and 20 ppm for the next week. BRUSH the pool completely at least 2x, a couple of days apart.

    You CAN swim: 30 minute pediatric "bleach baths" (Google for it if you like) are 50 - 100 ppm!

    But do NOT wear new expensive 'fashion' swimsuits. Competition suits (Speedo, Tyr, Nike, etc) should be fine. Otherwise, wear older suits.

    Good luck!

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